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1st and 2nd Grade News 2018-2019

During the first week of school, we have been spending time going over classroom procedures and getting to know each other. We have a new student that has joined our class this year. Students were quick to make friends with her and make her feel welcomed at SCS! I can tell we are going to have a PAWSome year!

September

First and Second graders have been off to a PAWSative start! We spent the first few weeks of school learning new routines and practicing the skills that we will need to make the classroom run smoothly. During Math, we split into grade level groups and complete work accordingly. We are very excited to be launching an expanded approach to language arts called Walk to Read. We are a lucky enough this year to have been able to align schedules with grades 3 and 4. During this time we are split into smaller groups to be able to work even closer to students needs. We are still using the classroom structure called Daily 5. Students currently have the chance to choose between Read to Self and Read to Someone. Soon they will be able to engage in Word Work, Listen to Reading, and Work on Writing. We have started practicing word sorts in the classroom and will eventually be sending these home. In Science, we have started learning about Autumn. We have read many books and have experimented with leaves to see why leaves change color.

Homework each night is for Grade 1 to read for 10 minutes and Grade 2 to read for 20 minutes. Please sign chart in agenda to acknowledge that this has been done.

October

First and second graders have continued to practice the routines for Walk to Read. They are currently learning new reading strategies, reading for fluency and comprehension, practicing writing, and practicing phonic skills every day! I am very happy with the results we have observed in just one month of launching Walk to Read. We have continued to practice word sorts in the classroom and students are beginning to fall into a routine with what they need to do each day. In Science, we are finishing up a plant unit with a focus on apple tree life cycles and pumpkin life cycles. We did some fun activities including apple tasting, apple prints, making apple pie in a cup, estimating pumpkin sizes, and cutting into pumpkins!

Apple Tasting

Apple Prints

Apple Pie in a Cup!

November

We used shaving cream to write descriptive words when learning about word choice with Mrs. Bergie!

First and Second grade has had a busy November! It seems as though the month just began and now we are already nearing the end!

In Math, we second graders have continued to learn about place value to 100. We have practiced different strategies to add and subtract 2 double digit numbers. Most of the strategies have focused on mental addition and subtraction or using the 100’s chart to add or subtract. We are now diving in deeper to learning how to add numbers to 100. First graders have continued to to practice addition to 20. We have practiced different strategies, such as adding doubles, doubles plus one, and making a ten to add. In addition to the lesson of the day, students start warming up their math brain with a math activity, are reviewing the skill learned from the day previous, and are playing a math game that is focused on skills we are learning or have learned,

In Social studies, we are learning about communities. We learned about what makes up a community, how there are different types of communities and who our community helpers are. Students were very excited to share what job they want when they grow up!

December

The month of December always proves to seem to fly by! In Math, we have been busy learning many new skills. Second grade has continued to practice adding numbers to 100 with and without regrouping. We have now continued to learn how to subtract numbers from 100 with or without regrouping. This has proved to be a little more challenging, but we have preserved through and are doing terrific! First graders have continued to use different strategies to practice addition to 20. Many students have started to become fluent with their doubles facts. We have now started learning different strategies to subtract from 20.

Language Arts groups continue to be both appropriate and challenging to students. Students are in a routine of what they should be doing during this time and even with the upcoming holiday are using this time appropriately. In the classroom, we read various different versions of the “Gingerbread Man”, have wrote our own gingerbread stories, did a gingerbread science and experiment, and will have a gingerbread treat on Friday at our holiday party.

In Science, we have been learning about the three states of matter. We performed many mini experiments to learn more about this. Many students were surprised to learn that a solid didn’t have to be hard or that you could turn a liquid into a gas.

This we started out holiday craft. Students have really taking their time on the project and are excited to complete it and bring it home to their families. I hope that you have a relaxing and wonderful holiday!

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Stewartstown School District, 60 School Street, West Stewartstown, NH 03597